Editor’s Note
This report details a fatal collapse at an unauthorized artisanal mine in Boyacá, Colombia, underscoring the persistent dangers of informal and unregulated mining operations.
Two workers lost their lives in an artisanal mine located on the border between the municipalities of Quípama and Muzo, in western Boyacá, after an earthen tower collapsed inside the mine shaft.
Two other people, who were also inside, managed to escape unharmed, as the collapse only affected one section of the mine.
The incident occurred around 5:00 p.m. on January 21, 2026, and is believed to have been caused by irregular conditions in the shaft, as the mine was operating without authorization.
The rescue operation lasted until around 1:00 a.m., due to ground instability and continuous landslides, which hampered the work of emergency teams.
According to Matinal Noticias Boyacá, the victims were identified by authorities as Dubar Castiblanco and Javier Hernández.
The area where the accident occurred belongs to the emerald company MTC, although, as Sergeant Cubillos clarified, the exploitation was not under the company’s direct operation. It was being carried out by local residents in an artisanal mining mode without adequate industrial safety structures to prevent such disasters.
Boyacá authorities confirmed the death of four workers following an explosion at the El Diamante mine in the Socha Viejo district, which occurred on January 16, 2026.
Emergency teams deployed an immediate operation to secure the area and recover the bodies. The emergency triggered rescue protocols and led to the opening of official investigations into the mine’s safety conditions.
The victims, identified by Matinal Noticias as Esteban Estupiñán, a mining operator; Angélica Zárate, responsible for health and safety at work; Ricardo Carreño Sepúlveda, a mining operator; and Yeison, also a mining operator, were performing verification and inspection tasks when the explosion occurred.
According to consulted sources, the disaster was caused by a “dangerous accumulation of gases, which reached critical levels in a matter of minutes and prevented any attempt to evacuate in time.” The rapid concentration of methane gas caused asphyxiation and proved fatal for the workers.
Authorities initiated investigations to determine whether established mining and labor safety regulations were being complied with. The case reignites concern about protocols and oversight in the region’s coal mines.
The recent accidents in mines located in the department of Boyacá highlight the persistence of risks associated with operation without adequate safety measures and the lack of control over artisanal mining activity, which has become evident with the passing of tragedies.
Authorities have launched investigations to clarify the conditions under which these tasks are carried out and to assess compliance with current regulations, in a context marked by a high incidence of disasters in the region.
